A Russian ship suspected of carrying Iranian ballistic missiles was spotted at a Caspian port
Satellite images shared by CNN show that a Russian cargo ship suspected of carrying Iranian ballistic missiles for Moscow’s war on Ukraine was seen at a Russian port in the Caspian Sea a week ago.
Maxar Technologies identified the ship, “Port Olea 3,” in satellite images taken on September 4 at the Astrakhan Olea Port. According to ship tracking data, the ship previously docked at the Iranian port of Amirabad on August 29. Sometime after that, she switched off her transceiver.
The U.S. Treasury Department estimated on Tuesday that the Russian Defense Ministry “used the Mina Olaya 3 vessel to transport short-range ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia.”
“As of early September 2024, Russia had received its first shipment of short-range ballistic missiles from Iran,” the Treasury Department said in announcing sanctions on the Mina Olaya 3, as well as other ships and several Iranian personnel.
CNN reported over the weekend that Iran recently transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, a major escalation in Iran’s support for Russia.
Military ties between Iran and Russia have become closer since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shaheed attack drones, and according to U.S. officials, Iran has built a drone factory in Russia.
The satellite images came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in London on Tuesday that the United States believes the Russian military has received Iran’s Fateh 360 ballistic missiles and “may use them against Ukrainians in Ukraine within weeks.”
The Fateh 360 missile has a range of up to 75 miles (120 kilometres) and can carry a 330-pound (150-kilogram) payload. While the payload is smaller than many Russian aerial bombs, it is very useful for targeting Ukrainian front-line positions at long ranges. As a ballistic missile, it is difficult to intercept.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference with the British Secretary of State (not shown) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London on September 10, 2024. Blinken is on the trip to discuss how to gain more support for Ukraine, which is launching a bold attack on Russian territory as Moscow advances into eastern Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War estimates that “Russian forces may use Iranian-supplied missiles to target Ukrainian energy, military and civilian infrastructure in the coming months.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Saeed Abbas Araqi denied that the Islamic Republic of Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, posting on the “To Russia” website.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires, Shahryar Amuzegar, this week following reports of ballistic missiles being shipped to Russia. Amuzegar warned that if the reports were true, Ukraine-Iran relations would suffer “irreparable and destructive consequences.”
Ukrainian officials contacted by CNN on Wednesday declined to comment further.
The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War noted that Iran had previously transferred weapons from the Caspian Sea ports of Amirabad and Anzali to Astrakhan. The Olea 3 port ship has made dozens of documented visits to the two Iranian ports this year. On September 6, she left the Russian port for another voyage.
Blinken noted on Tuesday that Washington “specifically warned Iran that taking this step would lead to a sharp escalation of the situation.”
He said dozens of Russian military personnel were trained in Iran to use Fateh 360 missiles, which “allows Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets farther from the front lines, while the new missiles received from Iran are allocated to targets farther from the front lines at closer ranges.” ”
US officials previously told CNN that negotiations for Russia to purchase short-range ballistic missiles from Iran began as early as September last year when Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to Iran to visit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Abil short-range ballistic missile system.
“Russia, for its part, has shared the technology Iran is seeking. “It’s a two-way street, both on nuclear issues and some space information,” Blinken added on Tuesday.
What’s less clear is whether Iran’s firing of ballistic missiles that can be launched from Russian territory at targets in Ukraine will convince the United States and its European allies to ease restrictions on using Ukrainian missiles to strike more targets in Russia.
Ukraine has sometimes used U.S. made HIMARS to strike targets about 60 to 80 kilometres into Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has often asked Kyiv’s allies for more freedom to use Western missiles against targets in Russia.
